Volunteering

Because of the breadth of activity of the different charities there is a need for many different skills. PLENTI project guests are invited to stay for a month or more to volunteer their input, at least on a part-time basis, to meet those needs.

Many of our guests are likely to bring experience of many different careers and could perhaps be interested in areas such as strategy, finance, management or teaching.Skills in the medical and health care, and caring fields are, of course, most welcome. There will also be opportunities to work with the tribal people directly, for example in the training centre or in English conversation classes.

Below is a list of some of the skills that we have identified that might be particularly relevant; but our Accord friends will be glad to welcome guests who might bring all sorts of other things to the party.

Volunteering schemes require significant investment and management in linking skills and needs in a meaningful way.Guests will be given the opportunity in advance of their visit to learn something about the charities.The PLENTI Project will have a programme manager who will be responsible for the volunteer programme. The charities will each provide a point person to help arrange the appropriate interface within their organization. There will also be assistance in organizing the logistics.There will therefore be significant extra costs in providing the volunteer element of the stay to ensure that it is worthwhile and not just tokenistic, and this will be included in the guest house cost,also inclusive of three meals a day (and nevertheless favourable in comparison with other guest houses!)

An example of a project completed in early 2017, by Angela Harding, is described in this report.